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UCSB students talking about Asian American Pop Culture

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Fresh off the Boat Season 2; Episode 6

I thought that the most recent episode of Fresh off the Boat contained numerous scenes that need to be digested and discussed. I’d like to discuss the aspect of Asians conducting themselves on tv. In the episode, Louis gets the opportunity to promote his steakhouse on the local news channel. However, he spends most of his air time doing impressions of different celebrities and making a fool out of himself. Jessica gets on his case and tells him to return to the show and show that Asians aren’t just a joke of a race. Louis returns to the show but this time around, he is very serious and blows up when the newscasters tell him to do more impressions, claiming that he is more than just an entertainment factor. Despite doing what Jessica wanted, she still isn’t happy and tells Louis to basically play the role of the perfect individual. Jessica says that because Asians get so little air time on tv, that they need to take that opportunity to showcase every good aspect of their race.

I think the point that Jessica makes is very valid. Asians have always been misrepresented on tv and so whenever Asians get the chance to show their true colors, they should do so without hesitation. However, I think the bigger question is why Asians have to take the extra step to promote themselves and make themselves seem equal to their peers on tv? We don’t see any other races under pressure to showcase their notable traits when on tv. This shows that Asians are seen as inferior which is troublesome. Asians are no different than any other race and are in no way less qualified as a race. This is an issue that needs to be addressed and hopefully will be addressed as Asians are gaining more traction in the tv scene.